The research, entitled "Ontology-based Annotation and Fuzzy Recommendation for Community Formation in Smart City Knowledge Platforms," addresses one of the key challenges facing smart city ecosystems: how to effectively organize knowledge and foster meaningful interaction among citizens, experts, and decision-makers through collaborative digital platforms.

The study proposes an intelligent framework that recommends the most appropriate knowledge communities for users and their contributions within smart city platforms. By improving the alignment between users and specialized communities, the proposed approach enhances the quality of discussions and facilitates more effective knowledge sharing on urban and developmental issues. This topic is becoming increasingly important as digital platforms play a growing role in urban planning, citizen engagement, and participatory decision-making.

To address this challenge, the researchers developed an innovative model that combines ontology-based knowledge representation with fuzzy logic, while incorporating behavioral and structural factors related to both users and communities, including user activity levels, community size, and growth rates. The findings demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms conventional recommendation approaches, providing greater accuracy in matching users with relevant knowledge communities and improving knowledge management and community engagement within intelligent digital environments.

The study contributes to the development of more effective digital platforms capable of strengthening public participation, facilitating knowledge exchange, and supporting the broader objectives of smart cities and digital sustainability.

This achievement reflects An-Najah's continued commitment to advancing research in emerging technologies and promoting innovation in artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and smart systems.

It also highlights the University's dedication to fostering international research partnerships with leading universities, contributing to the production of impactful scientific knowledge while strengthening its global presence in future-oriented research areas related to smart cities and knowledge management.

The research was conducted through an international collaboration between An-Najah National University and Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. The research team included:

• Dr. Amjad Hawash, Faculty of Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence, An-Najah National University.

• Professor Paolo Bottoni, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.

• Professor Danilo Avola, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.

This collaboration reflects the value of international research partnerships in developing innovative artificial intelligence solutions that support digital communities and contribute to the advancement of smarter, more sustainable cities.